Some of these scanning techniques may also use a contrast solution, a dye which makes your heart and vessels more clearly visible to the doctor on a computer screen. The contrast “lights up” the blood stream like food coloring would change the color of clear water. Other tests, such as echocardiography (echo, or cardiac ultrasound), use high-frequency sound waves to visualize the heart muscle, heart valves (doorways between heart’s chambers) and blood flow.

These procedures are non-invasive and essentially painless, requiring only an IV insertion in some instances. All of these can be performed in a comfortable outpatient setting.In addition to a full range of traditional imaging procedures, the Gill Heart & Vascular Institute has advanced imaging technologies offered only by a few imaging centers in the country, including 3D echocardiography, tissue Doppler and speckle tracking imaging. Gill also offers newer technologies and methods for looking at how your heart functions.

The Gill Heart & Vascular Institute Adult Echo Lab has been accredited by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission-Echocardiography (ICAEL) continuously since 1999 and all interpreting cardiologists are certified by the National Board of Echocardiography. Our team has 130 combined years of cardiac sonographer experience in Adult Echocardiography.

The Adult Echo Lab provides quality diagnostic testing in a private and quiet environment. And has more than 25 years of experience in performing and interpreting stress echoes and transesophageal echoes. Our faculty has played a major role in the research and development, of Doppler, color flow imaging and 3D echo. In fact, the Adult Echo Lab faculty and cardiac sonographers have been leaders in the state for ultrasound imaging- teaching national and regional courses, and providing hands on training to physicians and sonographers in the area. We are committed to providing excellent care and education to the people of Kentucky, now and in the future.

The Gill Imaging Center is a nearly $10 million venture that brings some of the most technologically-advanced imaging equipment available to UK. This outpatient center provides advanced diagnostic imaging of a wide variety of clinical conditions. Housed within the center is the UK Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Program.

The Gill Imaging Center has two state-of-the-art 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanners. A first for Kentucky, one of these units represents the next generation of CT technology, the dual-source CT scanner. This innovative technology is about twice as fast as other CT machines, capturing precise images of a beating heart in seconds, reducing the need for heart-slowing medication while providing exceptional images to aid in diagnosis and treatment decisions.

Also within the Gill Imaging Center, two new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) units expand UK HealthCare's already impressive imaging capabilities. The 1.5T MRI unit is the clinical standard for breast, chest, heart, abdomen, bones and joints including the spine. The 3.0 Tesla (3T) MRI unit benefits from an even higher magnetic field and is perfect for advanced studies of the brain and the entire vascular system.